


With a Twist

by cadkitten



Category: Alice Nine
Genre: Explicit Language, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-16
Updated: 2008-09-16
Packaged: 2017-11-14 17:48:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/517902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cadkitten/pseuds/cadkitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tora stared at Nao, something akin to horror on his face. Nao had <i>not</i> just said that....</p>
            </blockquote>





	With a Twist

**Author's Note:**

  * For [philthebob](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=philthebob).



> For philthebob, who requested this pairing off of jrock_ffrequest.  
> Prompt: not end in angst, and some form of attempt at humour.  
> Also for 0008: Purpose for prompt_rotation.  
> September 17th is Tora's birthday! So... happy birthday Tora, baby!  
> Song[s]: "kowareteiku kono sekai de" by Pierrot

It was an odd day all around. Practice was cut short for an impromptu meeting with the management that revealed they were to change some of their lyrics or the company wasn't going to let the song in question pass. The look on Shou's face was absolutely horrified, until he actually looked at the written lyrics and his face promptly turned beet red.

He held up the paper. "Alright, who the hell changed it? This is so not what I wrote or what I sang!" Tossing the lyric sheet on the desk, he crossed his arms and turned his head to glare directly at Nao. "I bet _you_ did it!"

Nao looked offended and scared all at the same time. "Me? I didn't do anything! I just proofread it!"

Shou scanned the other faces, coming to a rest on Saga, who was texting on his phone rather than paying attention. "Saga!"

The bassist's head shot up and he flushed. "Yes?"

The blonde vocalist sighed, reaching out and yanking the phone from Saga's hand, closing it and tossing it on the table. "Did you change my lyrics?"

Saga smirked and leaned back in the chair. "That depends... which song are we discussing?"

Tora rolled his eyes and shoved the paper, which had come fluttering toward him when Shou had tossed it, toward Saga. "That one, dumbass."

Saga reached out and picked up the paper, turning it over and staring at it for a moment. "Ah... yeah, I did that." He grinned cheekily at their manager. "I didn't think anyone would notice I changed up a few words."

Nao huffed and Shou looked like he was ready to murder someone. Their manager sighed and dismissed everyone but Saga and Shou, so they could fix the lyrics.

When they got to the door, Nao rushed to catch up to Tora, grabbing his arm and grinning. "We've got to get going, we have an interview."

Tora stared at the other man like he'd gone nuts. "Didn't I ask to get out of that because it's my birthday and the interviewer will never leave me alone if I go?"

Nao shrugged a little. "Yeah, but I couldn't get you out of it. I tried. I'm sorry."

The guitarist stared at the drummer, he looked genuinely upset and he felt a little bad for snapping at him. "Oh... okay. Just... if they get mean with me, kind of ward them off, yeah?" When Nao started walking, he fell into step beside him, smiling as he flung an arm around the other man's shoulders. "You'll make them stay off my back, right?"

Nao grinned and nodded. "I'll try." And yet... the sparkle in his eyes said that he'd instigate it more than help it stop.

The walk to the office wasn't too bad, the time of day giving them more room on the streets than in the mornings and at quitting time. They arrived a bit early, but the receptionist showed them into the room anyway, telling them the interviewer would be with them shortly.

They didn't have to wait long, the lady coming in quickly and setting up her recording device and notepad, then introducing herself and plopping down across from them, an excited look on her face. "So... how are you guys, today?"

Nao grinned. "Good. You?"

She smiled. "I'm fine. How about you, Tora?"

The guitarist shrugged a little. "Alright, I guess." He noted with slight irritation that the woman seemed to be one of those people who would not stop smiling.

"We polled the fans on what they wanted to ask you and have arranged the questions in order of most votes to least. Are you ready to start?"

Nao nodded enthusiastically, excitedly grasping Tora's hand under the table for a moment and then releasing it.

Sometimes Tora wondered about Nao and why he insisted on touching everyone so much, but he figured it to just be a 'Nao thing' and always let it slide. It was something you just got used to or got annoyed with. He didn't like being annoyed, so he always chose to simply deal with it.

"What is your favorite thing about touring?"

Nao grinned, instantly responding. "The Starbucks in different places have different items on the menus. So I get to try them out when we tour!"

Tora snorted silently, thinking how Nao seriously did not need any more coffee, much less samples of it from various places they stopped on tour. "Getting to see new places or at least ones I haven't seen in a long time. Also being inspired by the new settings."

"Inspired musically?"

Tora nodded, absently picking at a stray thread on his pants. He just wanted this over with. Interviews always bothered him.

"Okay. What item do you absolutely need to have on tour with you?"

Nao beamed, his smile even getting Tora's attention. "My foot massager, so I don't get sore feet!"

The guitarist slowly turned his head to stare at the drummer. He had to be kidding. That big orange thing they'd all found in his house late one night was seriously not a foot massager. That was one fact Tora was _very_ certain of. "Yeah... Nao likes his... _massager_ a lot." He smirked. "I always need my lucky pick. I keep it on my person somewhere at all times during tours."

"Very good. Fans would like to know how you answer the telephone."

Tora managed to reply first. "I just say hello... like a normal person."

Nao squeaked and then punched Tora in the arm. "You don't!"

The brunette looked offended. "Yes, I do!"

"What about-" Nao was cut off when Tora's hand suddenly came to clasp over his mouth.

"Nothing... absolutely nothing." He let Nao go when the drummer licked his hand, making a face at the saliva now coating his palm.

"I ask whoever it is what's going on." He smiled and then settled down, eyeing Tora as the guitarist wiped his hand on his pants.

"If you could meet anyone... who would it be?"

Nao grinned. "The owner of Starbucks."

"Lame... that's really lame, Nao." Tora rolled his eyes and leaned forward on the table. "Ashton Kutcher."

The interviewer arched an eyebrow at him, but he remained silent. Nao, on the other hand, started giggling. "Tora thinks Ashton's hot!"

Tora chose to simply glare at Nao rather than replying. There really wasn't a point. After all, he'd put that fact in his blog a long time ago. He sighed, waiting on the last fan-based question so they could get out of here.

"What is your 'type', dating-wise?"

Nao stared off toward the wall, his eyes dreamy. "Brunette, feisty, talented... someone who doesn't quite understand me, but accepts that I am who I am and I'm not going to change." He grinned, turning his eyes on Tora. "But, Tora here... I bet his type is energetic, loveable, adorable, and... a man."

Tora stared at Nao, something akin to horror on his face. Nao had _not_ just said that....

Nao smirked, watching the guitarist's reaction to his words. Having said every bit of it on purpose, he had no regrets in the fact that what he'd just said would likely be published right along with the rest of their interview. After all... he was a bit known for taunting the fans, so why not taunt them on Tora's behalf?

Tora's face flushed and he stood up, his hands trembling and his eyes flashing. "How about you stop accusing me of things when you're the gayest person on the face of the planet?!" He turned around, pushing the chair out of the way and grabbing the door handle. He paused before yanking the door open. "Publish that and I'll sue you for slander."

Nao stared after Tora, his eyes wide. He quickly stood and bowed slightly to the woman conducting the interview. "I... I guess I hit a sore spot with him. I'm so sorry. Please don't publish my comment or his response to it. Just put that he answered with 'a nice woman who is strong-willed, but not pushy.'" He nodded, mostly to himself. "That sounds good, right?"

The woman nodded and started to get up, but Nao turned around and bolted from the room, knowing full well if he didn't find Tora now, they'd probably not talk for weeks. He spotted the other man hailing a cab and he rushed toward him, nearly losing his shoulder bag as he flung himself in the open car door and across Tora's lap. He scrambled in, pulling the door shut and remained sitting on Tora's lap, thinking to pin him there with the action.

Tora stared at Nao, his eyes glaring daggers. "Get... the fuck... off of me." He reached up to push Nao away; but, the drummer grabbed his hands and quickly told the cabbie his own address. "Why the hell are you doing this?" Tora knew he was being rude, but he didn't care.

Nao settled down on the guitarist's lap and sighed softly, taking Tora's face in his hands as the car began to move. "Honestly?"

"Yeah, honestly. I want to know why it's always me you pick on, me you do shit like _this_ to." He pushed half-heartedly against the other man's thighs. "Normal people sit on seats."

Nao glanced out the window as the car sped down a small side-street to avoid the traffic on the main thoroughfare. When he turned his attention back to Tora, the look on his face was softer, the story his eyes were telling, sad. He leaned in, briefly pressing his lips against Tora's, the contact fleeting. He remained a hairbreadth away from the other man's lips as he spoke, his voice so low even Tora had trouble hearing it. "Because I love you."

Tora's breath caught in his throat. Not in a million years had he expected to hear those words leave his band mate's mouth. Honestly, he was unsure how to reply. What did Nao expect? For him to return his feelings or to get even more angry with him? In reality, he had no idea how to feel about it. He wasn't exactly adverse to Nao's feelings but the position he was put in was tough. He hadn't quite accepted his own sexuality yet and was really far from wanting to confront it and deal with it.

Finally, he released his breath, taking another shaky one. "I..." he swallowed hard, "how long have you had feelings for me?"

Nao shifted, managing to drag himself off Tora and plunk down on the seat next to him instead. "It's difficult to pinpoint, I've always liked you as a friend, it's just that one day, I started to think about you a little differently, see you in another light. I guess the big moment of realization was at that New Year's party last year. When I was wasted and you looked after me..." he trailed off, a smile on his lips.

Tora had to smile at the memory, how he'd felt like he was babysitting the other until, when he'd dropped him off, Nao had clung to him, thanking him and refusing to let go for the longest time. "So that's why you wouldn't let go of me at the end of the night. And here I just thought you were still drunk!"

Nao grinned. "I was, but that's not the point." Things were slowly falling back into place, going back to the way they had been before... with a slight twist. The anger from just moments before seemed to be fading away. That much was pleasing, no matter what Tora's feelings on him loving him were. He leaned back on the seat, turning his head to look at Tora directly. "So you're not mad that I feel the way I do?"

After a moment of contemplation, Tora shook his head. "I don't see why I should be mad. I mean, I can't really say I return them at this point, but one doesn't know what the future holds, you know?"

Nao remained where he was, a smile on his lips. "Good enough for me." And it was. He could deal with it, because it wasn't rejection and Tora wasn't angry with him. "Does that mean I could kiss you again and you might not mind?" He knew he was fishing, but it didn't really matter. Either answer would be okay with him.

"Not here." The answer was murmured, but clear enough to Nao.

It wasn't long before they pulled up to Nao's apartment complex and they both got out, Tora paying despite the fact that he wasn't exactly at home. Nao led them up to his apartment, opening the door and letting them in. They both removed their shoes, heading into Nao's living room and taking a seat on the sofa.

They sat there awkwardly for a few minutes until Tora couldn't stand it anymore. "We're not in the cab anymore." Part of him was scared of what he'd just said, but the other part screamed at him to go for it, to see how he'd like kissing another man when he could actually respond.

Nao looked at him hesitantly for a moment before slowly getting to his knees and leaning over Tora, his hand resting on the guitarist's chest as he pressed their lips together softly. When Tora responded, his kiss was tentative, but sweet nonetheless. Nao chanced deepening it, slicking his tongue across the expanse of Tora's lower lip, hoping he would at least get this single taste of the other man.

Tora allowed Nao the access he was seeking, wanting to truly experience what the other could give him. Because, otherwise, how could one know for sure if they liked it or not? If you didn't give yourself fully to something, still held reservations, it would never be the same as if you let go and soaked in all that you could from it.

The dance of their tongues as they slipped along one another deepened into something fully erotic, something undeniably lustful, yet tender. Nao kept himself in check, not pushing Tora any further. The way the other man felt beneath him was something he'd waited so long for. He knew that if he had to wait for more, he would - he'd wait forever if that was what it took.

In turn, Tora gave what he could, pushing them as far as he was comfortable without tipping that balance. He didn't want it to end, yet... he knew it had to. He couldn't lead Nao on so far that the other would want what he couldn't give. Ever so gently, he pulled away from the kiss, his eyes shining with emotion. A flicker of guilt crossed his gaze, but was easily washed away as the drummer reached out and tucked a single hair behind his ear, a smile upon his lips.

Nao settled back on the couch, curling up at Tora's side, his head resting lightly on the guitarist's shoulder.

Without a second thought, Tora reached out, taking Nao's hand in his own and clasping it lightly.

Words didn't need to be exchanged for either of them to know that it would be a long road, but that they'd each do what they could to further what they had. Somehow, some way, they'd make it work.

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Omg, mushy waffy, what? *gasp* I so hope this is okay with you. For some reason, having to put humor in it made it not want to be NC17. *grimace* It's only like... PG.  
> NOTE ADDED 2014 - oh my god, rereading this and it's so bad, lol. Ahhhh I've come so far since then.


End file.
